Procrastination and How to Beat It

Procrastination –is one enemy that we have all dealt with at one time or another. Whether it is with completing school assignments, cleaning the house, or working to get ahead in your career endeavors, we have all experienced it at one time or another and these are ways to overcome this situation if you know how to tackle procrastination before it takes hold of your habits and gets in the way of your goals.

Understanding Why We Procrastinate  

Procrastination comes in many forms, from experiencing anxiety when going to work on a specific task, to simply not having enough motivation to conquer daily tasks such as laundry and cleaning the house. Procrastination is something that is tied to our emotions and how we feel about a given task. For me for example, when it came to schoolwork, I would get overwhelming anxiety, and this would in some cases it would cause me to avoid my schoolwork for weeks on end. To overcome this fear and procrastination I would take the initiative to simply just start working on the assignments, and within a few minutes once I got started on the task at hand the anxiety would dissipate. Then I would be able to complete what I set out to do.

So, in understanding procrastination, we typically use this method to avoid something uncomfortable, as in the example above. Putting off these tasks helps to regulate our moods because as humans we would rather feel something pleasant, rather than something uncomfortable. However, with procrastination, the bad feelings will come back later when we know that we must attempt to retackle the work that is set out before us that we must complete.

Overcoming Procrastination

So how do we overcome procrastination? What can we do to avoid the negative feelings now and later? When you feel like procrastinating think of this – first, you are tackling a task that you will not worry about later, because it will be done. Also, if it is a task that requires concentration or staying in one spot for an extended period, look for ways to set up your environment. Create a comfortable environment where you feel content and relaxed, which will allow you to concentrate. If more of your anxiety comes at the beginning of your situation then you typically delay the work you need to do, try a practice of telling yourself how you will feel accomplished and relieved once you have completed your task.

Another method to avoid procrastination is to plan. If you know that you have a task that will take a significant amount of time or strength to complete, try breaking it down into smaller bite-size pieces. For a project rather than spending hours on end to work on this task, break it down into smaller one- or two-hour sessions over a few weeks if time permits.

Ask for help! Do you have tasks that could be more efficient if you had a team of people to help you? Do not be afraid to ask for help. For example, if it is a project at work, delegate tasks that you are not the strongest at to your team so that you can focus on the most important topics. This can help to clear up your schedule and will allow you to work on things that matter the most to you. In addition to this if you have a bunch of small tasks that need to be completed, complete these first to get them out of the way.

Look at your calendar. Do you have a lot of items that must be completed within a short period? Think about rearranging items in your calendar over a few weeks, rather than having to complete everything at once. Sometimes when we have too much to do, we can become overwhelmed. To avoid this, break down tasks into smaller goals and spread the due dates over a two- or three-week period.

Finally, when it comes to procrastination, we all have times when we will procrastinate, and it could be due to a good reason! Sometimes your body and mind just need rest. If this happens, forgive yourself, and start again later. The important thing is that you get back up on your feet and keep going, revising, and working towards your goals.